Preface
The imperial examination system has existed in Chinese history for more than 1,300 years, during which countless meritorious civil and military generals were born. However, when we flip through the pages of history, our eyes are always drawn to a few of the brightest stars. Could it be that this thousand-year-old imperial examination drama has gone through ups and downs, and only three or five sages have come out of the stage to scold Fang Xuan?
The theoretical originator of the ancient college entrance examination - Confucius
Confucius, the name of the "Hundred Masters Table", seems to be known to everyone. His famous saying "learning and excellence will lead to excellence" pointed out the direction for the ancient imperial examination. Before Confucius, the generation of officials depended entirely on the feudal system of Shiqing Shilu, who either inherited the family business or depended on the powerful. Confucius proposed to obtain a career through Xi, which undoubtedly laid the groundwork for the selection system of later generations.
In fact, the character of Confucius itself contains a high symbolic meaning. He was born into a humble family of scholars, but he became the "Holy Teacher" by virtue of his personal cultivation, which can be described as a successful example of climbing from the grassroots to the top. The phrase "learning and excellence is a master" also reflects his personal spirit of unremitting struggle. When he was a child, he was keen on learning Xi, and was once evaluated as "erudite but not famous", and even made his own cars and straw sandals, just to study.
This spirit of unremitting self-improvement later inspired countless candidates for the imperial examination to work hard in the face of hardships and hardships. "No one in the world can do it, such as foolish and studious" It can be seen that Confucius praised those who studied hard but were ordinary but Xi studied hard. Confucius himself did not witness the birth of the imperial examination, but his ideas had already begun to germinate in the Qin and Han dynasties. The examination emphasizes the comprehensive examination of virtue and learning, and provides a certain standard for the selection of talents.
It was not until the imperial examination system of the Sui Dynasty was formally established that the concept of "learning and excelling" was truly transformed into reality. For a time, Junjie was like a cloud, and they all wanted to change their fate through the golden bridge of the imperial examination.
Emperor Wen of Sui, the originator of the imperial examination, innovated and sought change
In 605 AD, Emperor Wen of Sui issued an edict to establish the imperial examination system, and adopted the method of examination to select officials. This move opened the door for people from poor families to turn over their careers, and also made Emperor Wen of Sui the founder of the imperial examination system. For Emperor Wen of Sui, the establishment of the imperial examination system was based on practical needs. After the Sui Dynasty replaced the division between the North and the South, it was faced with the urgent task of unifying thinking and consolidating political power. And the selection of candidates for the imperial examination can fundamentally transform the ecology of officialdom and reserve loyal cadres for the new dynasty.
Emperor Wen of Sui himself was an enlightened and change-seeking monarch. He vigorously rectified the imperial examination system, increased the disciplines of Jinshi, Ming Jing, and Ming Law, and broadened the channels for selecting talents. What is even more commendable is that Emperor Wen of Sui opened up the selection objects, no longer limited to the big families, so that ordinary people also have the opportunity to become officials, which can be described as shocking.
Such a move has undoubtedly boosted the confidence of the majority of poor students. They finally saw that not only could the noble sons of wealthy families have a smooth career, but the door to the upward channel through personal struggle was also open for themselves. Many children from ordinary families began to study hard, hoping to stand out in the imperial examination. Such an upsurge of learning and Xi promoted the prosperity of basic education, and the emergence of talents in large numbers, laying the foundation for the prosperity of the Sui and Tang dynasties.
During the reign of his son, Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty, he also continued to strengthen the standardization and proceduralization of the imperial examination, making it the main way to select bureaucrats. Although Emperor Yang of Sui has been tyrannical for a long time, the improvement of the imperial examination system does come from his hands.
The founder of the sealing system - Wu Zetian
Speaking of Wu Zetian, the first female emperor in Chinese history, the first thing that comes to our minds is the image of her seizing power and taking the throne, arrogant and lascivious. In fact, this talented woman also made a unique contribution to the development of the imperial examination system. Wu Zetian was originally a talented woman of the Li Tang Dynasty, and she was eager to hold power and change her identity and fate. After ascending to the throne, a large number of new officials need to be promoted to consolidate power. So she took advantage of the imperial examination system and began to use poor students in a big way to gain support.
However, the good times did not last long, and soon corruption of favoritism and irregularities appeared. Some wealthy and powerful people have obtained false results by bribing examiners. In fact, this also reflects from the side that Wu Zetian's position is actually not very strong. She urgently needs to rely on new forces to fight against the old forces of the royal family, which leads to a chaotic battle in the science field. Too many old nobles were dissatisfied with her employment policy and began to play with power.
In order to put an end to cheating, Wu Zetian adopted the initiative of "obfuscation examination". The names of candidates on all examination papers are pasted out to prevent the examiner from identifying and releasing water. This imperial examination reform was later set as a major policy by Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty and has been used until modern times. In fact, during Wu Zetian's reign, many reform measures were promulgated, such as the uniform land system and the two tax laws, but most of them were difficult to implement. The exception to this is the obscure name exam, which is both to the point and easy to operate, so it has become a political achievement that has left a name in history.
Wu Zetian also created a martial arts system to recruit Xi martial artists. Such a move has greatly improved the status of military generals, and has also cultivated many generals. For example, Guo Ziyi, who pacified the Anshi Rebellion, is the only martial champion who served two prime ministers.
The imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty was at its peak, and a variety of bonus points were added
In the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, the imperial examination was already popular all over the world. During the Kaiyuan period of Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the proportion of jinshi in the imperial examination was as high as 1/10,000, and the difficulty can be imagined. Many candidates are looking for ways to add points in order to achieve good results. At that time, talents such as sports skills and calligraphy attainments also became important pluses. Candidates who write well are more likely to be admitted.
As a result, the literati and scholars who talked on paper also began to practice their characters diligently. Some people even hired popular calligraphers to write inscriptions on the test papers. It's a profitable investment. In fact, there are some deep-seated social changes behind this. With the improvement of the imperial examination system, a large number of ordinary people poured into the trial column. They don't have much economic and cultural capital and need to rely on other talents to stand out.
As a result, the children of the scholar clan also had to accept this reality and specialize in other fields to increase their competitiveness. Calligraphy, painting, music, poetry, these seemingly elegant humanistic accomplishments have become real bonus skills. In this way, driven by the imperial examination, Chinese traditional culture has achieved unprecedented development. This movement not only gave birth to many literary and military talents, but also promoted the prosperity of academics, arts, and literature. It's really killing two birds with one stone.
Eight-share liberal arts examination system
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Baguwen became the only form of examination questions for the imperial examination, which was undoubtedly the prelude to the decline of the entire system. Baguwen emphasizes that personal opinions are not allowed to be expressed according to the scriptures, which has run counter to the original intention of "learning and then learning" in ancient times. In fact, the popularity of Baguwen also stemmed from the needs of feudal autocracy at that time. The monarchs of the Ming and Qing dynasties were extremely sensitive to new ideas and dissent, for fear that a Qin Hui would emerge to seize their power.
Therefore, through the shackles of the eight-strand text, we strictly guarded against sticking to the ideological system and deprived intellectuals of their right to speak. Coupled with the single question and rigid routine, this test-taking skill gradually deviates from the needs of reality and becomes an empty symbolic operation. It shackles the minds of intellectuals and excludes innovative talents.
So in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was the "illiterate" who could only set templates. They are anxiously memorizing dozens of fixed questions and mechanically filling in the blanks. Mentally inferior and narrow-minded, he has become a social elite who holds great power. Baguwen, the door to the Temple of Heaven, eventually became a stumbling block to China's decline. In 1904, the imperial examination system came to an end, and we had to face the ruins and trauma it left behind. At the same time, it also ushered in the spring of new ideas and changes.
The imperial examination system collapsed, and we miss the glory it brought and understand its ultimate failure. 1,300 years of vicissitudes of life, magnificent waves; The three or five sages have been handed down, and the majesty is shining. Perhaps it is this long experiment and exploration that has made Chinese more deeply appreciate the truth of change and immutability. The imperial examination is gone, but we are still on the way, and a new journey is ahead......
epilogue
In 1,300 years, the rise and fall of the imperial examination has been recorded for thousands of years. We recall the pioneering work of our ancestors, but we cannot ignore its eventual failure. However, the spiritual vein of the imperial examination is still spreading and growing in the torrent of the times. The concept of "learning and excelling" still inspires countless people with lofty ideals; The ideal of fair competition has also become our unremitting pursuit of the goal.
At present, China has ushered in the spring of the revival of Chinese culture. We revisit tradition and draw on its essence to inspire the modern. The imperial examination is still flickering, just waiting for us to discover. In the future, we will continue this thought experiment. The answer may not be fixed, but the pace of exploration never stops. The mountains and rivers are exotic, and the wind and moon are the same day; There are many facets of life, and each section of the road. So, let us never stop in our quest for the truth. It may be difficult, it may be difficult, but the sages have shown the way.